I know this show is rather old but I have not find any other show like Battlestar Galactica (the 2004 version). Battlestar Galactica has by far been one of the best Sci-Fi shows for me. I love how almost every episode leaves me at the edge of my side. For me to even write just one post about it would not do it any justice. I highly recommend checking out all four seasons of it.
However, I will be focusing on one episode from season 2 episode 17. For this post, I will link the lessons learnt from that to managing people or even training them, so let's get started.
A Brief Sypnosis
The episode starts off with Lee Adama being promoted and assigned to the new Battlestar Pegasus. On his new assignment as the executive officer, his commander was someone who was rather mechanical and treated those around him like machines. This is understandable since he was the chief engineer before he got promoted.
The Pegasus had just lost some men and the commander was adamant to go after them despite the protests of Lee Adama and the Admiral, who suspected that it may be a trap. They were both right and in the midst of the battle that ensued, two things happened. First, the commander of the Pegasus who was supposed to lead his men, focused on the mechanical problems of the ship and left the command to Lee Adama who led them out of the battle.
The end of the episode the admiral asked Lee Adama what was his commander's biggest flaw. He replied that his commander ran the ship like a machine, command however, is about people.
The Lesson
I believe that there is much to learn from that one statement. While I don't have a team to manage as part a company. But I do have a class given to me. It is a common misconception that students are meant to be ordered around. You could do that for younger students, but once they hit their teenage and college years, you have to build a rapport with them. Over time, they will come to respect you.
I think that is the hardest thing to do. It is easy to get students to love you, but to get them to respect you, that can be a tall order. From my experience, you can be loved for being funny or caring. However, to be respected as an authority figure and for students to follow your every word without question and still be comfortable to open up to you.
For me, it is all about leading capably and being compassionate enough to listen and address their issues. I do that by checking up on them to see how they are doing and incorporating real-life lessons in boring academic papers.
I hope this has been a great read for you. Do check out Battlestar Galactica (the 2004 version) just for a nail-biting experience that rivals the best Sci-Fi shows out there. Alternatively, you could just learn more about managing people from the characters in the show.